High speed container filling machine



Aug. 26, 1958 J. R. NALBACH HIGH SPEED CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE FiledMarch 16, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 (7 07%)? IN V 5N TOR.

Aug. 26, 1958 J. R. NALBACH 2,849,033 HIGH SPEED CONTAINERFILLING-MACHINE Filed March 16, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

1958 J. R. NALBACH 2,849,033

HIGH SPEED CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE Filed March 16, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet3 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent HIGH SPEED CONTAINER FILLING MACHINE John R.Nalbach, Oak Park, 111., assignor to John R. Nalbach Engineering Co.,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application March 16, 1956,Serial No. 572,057

' 12 Claims. ((11.141-148) The presentinventionrelates to machines :forfilling a continuously moving parade of upwardly open cans or containerswith a pulverous or particled material by telescoping the successivecans around individual vertical filling tubes which rotate together inan annular assembly that measures the material through the tubes intothe compared to conventional machines of similar size, has

an output capacity that is distinctly increased in. regard to both themaximum numerical rate at which containers can be filled and the maximumquantity of material that can be accurately measured into individualcontainers filled at any given numerical rate.

A related-object is to provide .an improved filling ,ma-

chine, as recited, which is capable of accurately filling tall cans aswell as short cans with substantially the same extraordinaryefiiciency-the machine being readily adjustable toaccommodate cans ofdifierent height.

A further object is to provide an improvedfillingmachine of the abovecharacter in which a large portion of the circumferential movement ofeach fillingtube previously consumed in telescoping a container intofilling position relative to the tube .is utilized'to lengthen thearcuate path-through which the tube is operative torneasureout thematerial for filling thecontainer, thus increasing the operating.efiiciency :and capacity of the machine.

Another object is to provide an improved machine as characterized above,in which troublesome jamming by fouled cam is avoided by the action ofnovel can elevating means in the machine .thatresponds automatically toanyabnormal resistance ,to movement \oi the cans into telescopingrelation to the-filling tubes. A related object is to provide for quickreplacement in thex-machine of any can which :fails tomove normally intotelescoping relation to its filling tube.

Another object is to iprovide sin 'a filling machine-for telescopingeven .imperfectcans around .iilling tubes with extraordinary certaintyand-dependability, using for this purpose improved telescoping meanswhichyinherent-ly has an unusually long service life thatcan be extendedindefinitely by replacement of .an inexpensive component.

Other objects and advantages -will become apparent from the followingdescription zof the exemplary form :of invention shown inIhe drawings,.in which:

Figure .1 is a; fragmentary-:elevational view :of a i-filling machineembodying the invention; 1

Fig. 2 is a fragmentaryhorizontalr'sectioual=view taken along the line2-2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a simplified sectional view'itaken alongzthe line 3-3 of Fig.2 but showing a difierent position of'adjust- .tnent of the machine;

2,849,033 Patented Aug. 26, 1958 Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration ofthe machine as viewed from above; and V Fig. 5 isa fragmentary sectionalview taken along the ,line 55 of Fig. l.

Designed to fill measured quantities :ofapulverous or particled materialinto a continuously moving parade or succession of upwardly open cans10, Figs. 1 to 3, the improved filling machine forming the illustratedembodiment of the invention is quite complex in itsoverall-construction. However, the matter of fully disclosing theinvention -is simplified by the fact that much of the com ponentstructure of the improved machine is of standard construction which neednot be specifically illustrated and described in the .presentapplication. 'Reference may be made to similar filling machines of theprior art for a .coacts at its upper end with measuring structure (notshown) of a generally conventional design, which .operates to fill apulverous or particled material into thetube during certainpredetermined portions of the rotary movement of the tube initscircular'path. Described here, for convenience, by the wordspulverous or particled the materials filled into cans by machines 'ofthe type provided by this invention areordinarily finely .divi'dedsolids, which have to a .degree some 'of'the flow or .pouringcharacteristics of a liquid. Structure suitable for filling suchmaterial into each tube 14 in accordance with the circumferentialposition of the tube around the axis 'of-rotation of the filling head iswell known'to those skilled in the art. I

A continuous parade or succession of upwardly open cans '10 is suppliedto the machine by a suitable conveyor 16, Fig. '2, which connects withcan feeding means 18 mounted on one sideof the machine. Thefeedingmea-ns '18 includes a star wheel 20 mounted on a vertical driveshaft '22, Fig. '1, which is rotated in timed relation to the "fillinghead '12 by suitable drive means provided for this purpose.

The periphery of the star wheel 20 is scalloped to pick up thesuccessive cans 10 from the conveyor .16 and swing the cans in spacedrelation to each other-across a horizontal support plate 23 and along anarcuate guide 2410a feeding station or position 26," Fig. 2, underlying"the circular path of movement of the fillingtubes 14. The

successive cans'10are supported 'inthe feeding station26 by aportion ofthe plate .23 which is spaced sufiiciently below the lower ends of thefilling tubes .14 to provide vertical clearance between the latter andthe cans.

The timed movement of the star wheel 20 is synchrotinized with therotating filling head 12 to move eachacan station26 must be elevatedfrom the 'feeding station into telescoping relation to the lower end ofthe tube. Since .the -:filling head .12 including the-tubes 14 rotatescontinuously, each can -10 must be telescoped upwardly around itscoacting tube while the tube continues to move. horizontally in itscircular. path.

In general, the portion of the circular or angular movement of each tube14 about the axis of the filling head 12 that is consumed in elevating acoacting can into telescoping relation to the tube is not fullyavailable for measuring material through the tube into the can. Sincefilling of the tube must be delayed until the coacting can is adequatelytelescoped around the tube, the extent of the circumferential movementof the tube that is available for measuring material into the tube andcoacting can is directly affected by the extent of the circumferentialmovement of the tube that is consumed in telescoping the coacting caninto filling position.

The radial angle of the circumferential movement of each tube 14 whichcan be used for filling the tube determines, for any given speed ofrotation of the filling head 12, the time available for filling thetube. The available time for filling each tube 14 for various operatingspeeds of the machine is a critical factor in determining the speed andefficiency with which the machine will fill cans with pulverous orparticled materials. While such materials will fiow? to a certaindegree, the time required for moving a material of this character intoand through a filling or measuring tube is necessarily a limiting factoraffecting the maximum operating speed of filling machines handling thematerial.

In the improved machine incorporating the present in vention the timeavailable for filling material into each tube 14, for any given speed ofrotation of the filling head 12, is distinctly increased by sharplyreducing the circumferential movement of each tube consumed in elevatinga coacting can into filling position in relation to the tube, thusextending the circumferential movement of the tube through which it isfilled with the pulverous or particled material.

This is accomplished by using a power driven endless flexible element orbelt 30 to directly engage and lift each successive can 10 from thefeeding station 26 to an elevated station or position 32 in which thecan is telescoped into a filling position around the coacting tube 14.Preferably the belt 30 is of a reinforced rubber construction such asthat commonly used in automobile fan belts.

A drive pulley 31 for the belt 30 is mounted beneath the plate 23substantially in underlying relation to the feeding station 26. Thepulley 31 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction (as viewed inFig. l) by a gear 33 which meshes with a drive gear 37 that rotates withthe drive shaft 22 for the star wheel 20.

Trained over the drive pulley 31 the belt 30 has an upper run 34 whichextends upwardly through a slot 36 in the plate 23 to an upper pulley 38immediately underlying the elevated receiving station 32. As shown, thereceiving station 32 is displaced horizontally from the feeding station26 in the direction of rotation of the overlying tubes 14.

Emerging upwardly through the plate slot 36 at one edge of the feedingstation 26, the upper belt run 34 has a steep angle of inclination(which can be of the order of 45 relative to a horizontal plane) toprovide a high rate of lift for the cans 10 picked up at the feedingstation. Thus, the horizontal displacement of the receiving station 32from the feeding station 26 and, hence, the circumferential movement ofeach tube 14 between the feeding station 26 and the receiving station 32can be reduced to a distance approximately equal to the verticaldistance through which each can is raised from the feeding station 26 toreach the receiving station.

As shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal disposition of the two belt pulleys31 and 38 is such that the upper belt run 34, as viewed from a positiondirectly above the belt, is generally tangent to the medial portion ofthe are through which the axis of each tube 14 progresses in movingbetween the feeding station 26 and the re ceiving station 32.

The upper belt pulley 38 is suitably journaled in a horizontal supportbushing 40, Figs. 2 and 3, fixed to a vertical bracket plate 42. Thepreviously mentioned counterclockwise rotation of the drive pulley 31,Fig. l circulates or drives the belt 30 in its course in a directionsuch that its instantaneous upper run portion 34 moves toward thereceiving station 32.

To accommodate the machine to filling either tall or short cans,provision is made for supporting the bracket plate 42 in either of twovertically spaced positions on a vertical support channel 44. As shownin Fig. l, the bracket plate 42 is supported in its upper position bytwo shoulder screws 46 having convenient operating handles 48. To holdthe bracket plate 42 in this position the shoulder screws 46 arethreaded into the plate through an upper pair of apertures 50 in the webof the channel 44. To support the bracket plate 42 in its lowerposition, Fig. 3, the shoulder screws 46 are threaded into the platethrough a lower pair of apertures 52 in the channel 44, Fig. 1, locateddirectly below the upper aperture 50, respectively. Thus the horizontalposition of the bracket plate 42 and attached parts remains unchanged byadjustment of the plate between its two vertical positions.

However, shifting of the bracket plate 42 from one vertical position toanother changes the center distance between the upper pulley 38 and thelower pulley 31 for the belt 30. To compensate for this, the lower run54 of the belt 30, which extends between the pulleys 38 and 31, istrained around an idler pulley 56, Fig. 3, which can be adjusted to takeup slack in the belt. As shown, the idler pulley 56 is journaled on onecorner of a triangular plate 58 swingably supported on the bracket plate42 by means of a pivot pin 60 extending through the plate 58 in spacedrelation to the axis of the idler pulley.

In the construction shown, the idler pulley 56 is located almostdirectly below the upper pulley 38 when the bracket plate 42 is mountedin its upper position, Fig. 1. Upon shifting of the bracket plate 42 toits lower position, Fig. 3, the plate 58 is swung counterclockwise tomove the idler pulley 56 away from the upper belt run 34 sufficiently totake up the slack in the belt. For either position of the bracket plate42, the plate 58 is adjusted about the pivot 60 to provide optimumtension on the belt 30 and clamped in its adjusted position bytightening a cap screw 62 extending through an arcuate slot 64 in theplate 58 into the bracket plate 42.

The matter of maintaining the cans 10 in vertical positions while movingfrom the feeding station 26 to the receiving station 32 is simplified bythe fact that each can is lifted by energy supplied directly to the canthrough the power driven belt 30. Thus relieved of any necessity forapplying to the individual cans the power required to lift the cans, themeans used to maintain the cans in vertical positions can be designed toprovide sufiicient clearance around the respective cans to avoid bindingor jamming of the cans against the coacting structure.

Thus upon reaching the feeding station 26, the cans 10 are maintained ingeneral vertical alignment with the overlying tubes 14 by a plurality ofvertically elongated guides 66 equal in number to the tubes. As shown inFig. 2, the vertically elongated guides 66 extend radially outwardbetween the successive tubes 14 from a vertical supporting cylinder 68which rotates with the filling head 12. The cylinder 68 and the twoguides 66 adjacent each tube 14 are dimensioned and shaped to partiallyembrace the side of the tube adjacent the cylinder while at the sametime leaving unobstructed an annular space 70 around the tube for thereception of a can 10. Opposite ends of each guide 66 extend substantialdistances above and below the lower ends of the tubes 14, as shown inFig. 1.

Thus, upon being moved by the star Wheel 20 into the feeding station 26,each can 10 is loosely embraced by the two vertical guides 66 adjacentthe overlying filler tube 14. The two [guides 66 thus brought intocoacting relation to the can cooperate with the star wheel 20 incontinuing horizontal movement of the can onto the upwardly exposedsurface of the upper belt run 34.

By the time each can 10 is picked up by the belt run 34, the side of thecan away from the cylinder 68 is .embraced by the lower ends of twocantilever guide rails 72, 74, extending downwardly in verticallyspaced, generally parallel relation to the upper belt run 34 from asupport bracket 76. The bracket 76 is secured to the vertical channel 44by cap screws 78, 80 that provide for vertical adjustment of the bracketand the attached guide rails 72, 74.

As previously intimated, the vertical guides and the .guide rails 72,74, which maintain each can 10 in a vertical position as it is elevatedby the upper belt run 34, are shaped and dimensioned to providesufiicient radial clearance around the can torninimize'the incidence offouling of cans in the machine even though some cans may be marred bysubstantialdefects.

Upon being lifted by the belt run 34 to the receiving station 32, eachcan 10 is supported on one end of an auxiliary can support rail or cam82, Figs. 2 and 3. The opposite end of the auxiliary can support 82 iswelded to the projecting end of a cantilever 84 attached to a verticalhinge plate 86. The hinge plate 86 is supported on the bracket plate 42by a hinge 88, Figs. land :2. The hinge 88 provides for horizontalswinging movement of the hinge plate 86 home normal position coplanarwith the bracket plate 42 (in which position the auxiliary can support82 is positioned as shown in Fig. 2 to support a can 10 at the receivingstation32) and servicing positions in Which the hinge pla-te 86 is swungaway from the cylinder 68 to move the auxil-iary can support -82horizontally out from under the filling tubes-14.

As shownythe hingeplate 8'6 is releasably held in its normal position bya vertically 'sw i'ngable clamp "90, Fig. -l,"extending 'overthe loweredge'oft-he hinge plate from a thumbscrew 92 in thebracket'plate '42.

A socket 94 a'nd"thumbscrew 96, Figs. '2 and '3, on the upper medialportion of the hinge .supported cantilever 84, adjustably support anauxiliary can. guide rail 98, which provides continuing'lateral supportto the cans moving upwardly beyond the main .guide rails '72, 74 to thereceiving station '32.

From the receiving station 32 each can is carried along horizontally by'its coacting filling tube :14 and the adjacent .guides- 66. Thus thecan .is moved .horizontally from the auxiliary can support .rail '82onto a main can support rail or cam 100. Having .a generally. arcuateshape as viewed from .above,fFig. 2, the maintcan support rail 100. issupported.inwunderlying relation to the adjacent filling tubes -14bysuitable supportvstandards 102, Eigs. -1 and3. The supports 102 can beadjusted vertically to effect a vertical alignment between .the main cansupport :rail 100 and the auxiliary can support 82 mounted on thevertically adjustable bracket plate 42.

Because ofthe inherently eflicient lifting action of'the belt 30 and thegenerous radial clearances provided between each can and the guidestructure which maintains the can in avertical position while movinginto telescoping relation to its coacting filling tube .14,. fouling ofa can in the can liftingand :guide structure is extremely unlikely even"though the "can "may be marred -bydefects such as would'cause jammingin conventional machines.

Although it is extremely unlikely that :a can 10 fed to the machine willfail totelescope properly around a coacting filling tube 14, hig'hlyefiicient means is provided for immediately detecting any abnormalresistance to movement of a can into telescoping relationtoits feedingtube and automatically stopping the "filling machine before the can hasan opportunity'to cause a troublesome jam in-- the machin Moreover, -a*faulty can 10 causing'the machine to stop automatically can be quicklyreplaced with a good can to minimize the interruption in the normaloperation of the machine.

To sense any abnormal pressure on the upper belt run 34, such as mightbe caused by abnormal resistance totelescoping of a can upwardly aroundits coacting filling tube 14, a straight elongated belt support bar 104.is yieldably supported in immediate underlying relation to the upperbelt run 34. The lower end of the support 104 pivots about a stationarypivot'106adjacent the driving pulley 31. The upper end of the beltsupport 104 rests on a cantilever bracket I08 extending laterally fromthe bracket plate 42.

Actually, the support 104 is yieldably urged toward the belt run 34 by acompression spring 110, "Figs. 1, 3 and 5, interposed between the upperface of the bracket 1.08 and the lower side of the beltsupport. Asshown, the spring encircles a retaining belt 112 threaded into the beltsupport 104 and extending down through a slot 114, Fig. 5, formed in thebracketsupport 108. A head 116 on the lower end .of the'bolt 112, Fig.1, engages the underside of the bracket 108 to limit upward movement ofthe belt support 104 by the spring 110.

Downward movement of the belt support 104 is. limited to a small angleby engagement with the upper face of the bracket 108 of the lower end ofa stop bolt 118, Figs. 1, 3 and 5, extending downwardly from a lateralbracket 120 fixed to the belt support 104.

Abnormal depression of the belt support .104 by excessive can pressureon the beltrun 34 is used to operate a limit switch 122-suitablyconnected electrically ;to interrupt operation of the filling machine.As .shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the switch122 is supported on theunderside of the bracket 108. ..An upwardlyexposed .operating plunger124 on the switch 122-is engaged by either of two adjustable switchactuating screws .126 or 128, depending upon the vertical position .ofthe assembly mounted on the bracketgplate 42. Both screws 126, T 128 areadjustably mounted in vertically spaced'relation :to each other on thebracket 1'20 attached :to the .left support 104.

The positional relationship of the two switch actuating screws V126,123to the belt support 104 is such that when the bracket plate 424s in.its' upper position, Figure l, the screw .126 is automaticallyalignedroper- .atively with the switch operating .plurrgera124.

Shifting of the bracket plate42 from its .upper position, Figure 1, toits lower position carries the upper belt pulley 38 andthec-antilever'bracket i108 vertically downward. At the same time theangleof inclination of the upper belt run 34 and thebelt support 104 isdecreased. The concurrent vertical displacement .of the switch 122 andangular displacement of the belt support 104 incident to verticaladjustment :of the bracket plate 42 brings the switch actuator l28 intocoacting alignment with the switch plunger 124, :as shown in Figure 3.

At the same time the retaining bolt 112 moves to the end of the slot 114remote from the pivot 106. As shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the portion 130 ofthe bracket 108 defining this end of the slot 114-is offset upwardly tocoact with the belt 112 to define a correct upper position for the beltsupport 104, when the bracket plate 42 is in its lower position.Similarly, an 'upward oiiset abutment 132, Figs. 1 and '5, is providedon the bracket 108 to coact with the stop bolt 118 to properly limitdepression of the belt support 104 when the bracket plate 42 is in itslower position.

Thus, the stop switch 122 and the belt support 104 are automaticallyconditioned for proper operation upon movement of 'the'bracket 42 toeither of its two'vertical positions. Hence, adjustmentof the machine toelevate either tall or short cans into filling 'position requires merelya change in the vertical adjustment of the bracket plate/4 2 togetherwith vertical "adjustment o'fthe main can support rail 100 and possiblyan adjustment of the bracket 76 supporting the guide rails 72 and 74.

In the event of abnormal can pressure of the belt run 34 the switch 122operates to stop the machine before the faulty can reaches the main cansupport rail 1%. This provides an opportunity for replacing the faultycan with a new can. As previously explained, the auxiliary can support82 can be quickly moved to an out-ofthe-way position to permit loweringof the lifter mechanism. Other parts of the can lifting mechanismsupported on the bracket plate 42 can be easily moved to permitreplacement of a fouled can which has not reached the receiving station32.

Further, in regard to the efiiciency of the improved machine, it will beappreciated with reference to the diagrammatic illustration of themachine in Fig. 4 that the radial angle of the zone of circumferentialmovement 136 of each tube 14 consumed in elevating a can from thefeeding station 26 to the receiving station 32 is sharply minimized toextend the radial angle of the zone 138 of circumferential movement ofeach tube 14 that is available for filling material into the tube.

The next succeeding zone 140 of the circumferential movement of eachtube 14 is used in a conventional manner to complete discharging ofmaterial through the tube into the coacting can. At the end of thedischarge zone 140 each can is directed away from the machine by aconventional outlet star wheel 142. After passing the star wheel 142each tube 14 moves on to the feeding station 26 where it comes intohorizontal alignment with another can moved onto the feeding station 26in the manner described.

Since the horizontal position of the receiving station 32 is unchandgedby adjustment of the bracket plate 42 to accommodate the machine tofilling cans of different height, the extended radial angle of the tubefilling zone 138 provides for filling either tall or short cans withsubstantially equal efi iciency.

Because of the substantial extension made in the radial angle of thetube filling zone 138, the improved machine provides at once for fillingcans at an increased numerical rate, filling larger and taller cans, andmeasuring the material into each can with increased accuracy.

The more efficient machine thus provided is inherently capable ofoperating effectively over an extremely long service life. Since thereis substantially no sliding movement between each successive can andbelt 30, the belt is not subject to substantial wear in use. Moreover,the belt can be readily replaced if necessary.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my inventionit will be apparent that variations and modifications thereof may bemade without departing from the principles and scope of the invention, Itherefore desire, by the following claims, to include all suchvariations and modifications by which substantially the results of myinvention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same orequivalent means.

I claim:

1. In a machine for filling a continuously moving succession of upwardlyopen containers with finely divided material, the combination of anannular assembly of downwardly open vertical filling tubes mounted forrotation continuously about a vertical axis to move the tubes through acommon circular path, an endless belt, means supporting said belt sothat the latter has a container elevating run steeply inclined relativeto a horizontal plane and disposed in generally underlying relation to asegment of said circular path of movement of said filling tubes, theupper end of said container elevating belt run substantially underlyingsaid filling tube movement path at a container filling level relative tothe overlying filling tubes, said means supporting said belt including arotary drive pulley engaging the belt to circulate the latter in adirection which carries the instantaneous lower end of said elevatingrun toward said upper end of the run, container support means extendingfrom the upper end of said belt run in the direction of rotation of theoverlying filling tubes, and container feeder means positioned to feedcontainers onto the lower end of said belt run below the lower ends ofoverlying filling tubes.

2. In a machine for filling a continuously moving succession of upwardlyopen containers with particled material, the combination of a fillinghead rotatable about a vertical axis and including a circular series ofdepending vertical filling tubes movable through a circular path uponrotation of the filling head, means defining a container feeding stationunderlying the circular path of movement of said tubes to support acontainer below the lower ends of said tubes, container feeding meanspositicned to feed a succession of upwardly open containers onto saidfeeding station, container supporting means defining a containerreceiving station displaced a short distance horizontally from saidfeeding station in the direction of rotary movement of the overlyingfeeding tubes and underlying the circular movement path of said fillingtubes, said receiving station being spaced vertically above said feedingstation to support containers in telescoped relation to the overlyingfilling tubes, an endless container elevating belt, means supportingsaid belt to form an upwardly exposed belt run steeply inclined upwardlyfrom said feeding station to said receiving station, said beltsupporting means including drive means coacting with the belt to drivethe belt in a direction which moves the instantaneous run portionthereof upwardly from said feeding station to said receiving tation, andcontainer guide means disposed in adjacent relation to said belt run.

3. In a machine for filling finely divided material into a continuouslymoving succession of upwardly open containers, the combination of anannular assembly of open vertical filling tubes, said assembly beingrotatable about a vertical axis to move the tubes through a circularpath, an endless belt, means supporting said belt to form an upwardlyexposed container elevating run underlying a segment of said circularfilling tube path and steeply inclined upwardly in the direction ofrotary movement of the overlying tubes, said belt supporting meanincluding means for driving said belt in a direction to move theinstantaneous run portion thereof upwardly, the upper end of said beltunderlying said tube movement path at a container filling level,elevated container support means extending from the upper end of saidbelt run in the direction of rotary movement of the overlying tubes,container feeding means mounted to feed containers to the lower end ofsaid belt run in underlying relation to said tube movement path, amovable switch-control element yieldably supported in immediateunderlying relation to said belt run for actuation by excessivedepression of the latter, a safety switch mounted for operation by saidswitch control element and adapted to interrupt operation of themachine, and container guide means positioned adjacent said belt run.

4. In a machine for filling finely divided material into a continuouslymoving succession of upwardly open containers, the combination of anannular assembly of downwardly open vertical filling tubes, saidassembly being rotatable about a vertical axis to move the tubes througha circular path, belt support means including an upper belt supportunderlying said tube movement path, an endless belt trained over saidupper belt support, vertically adjustable support means coacting withsaid upper belt support to support the latter in different containerfilling levels vertically spaced from each other, said belt supportmeans including a lower belt support located at a container feedinglevel substantially below said container filling levels, said belt beingtrained around said lower belt support to define a container elevatingbelt run extending between said upper and lower belt supports, saidlower belt support being positioned horizontally to locate said belt runbelow a segment of said circular tube 'i'l'lbV6l1'16lltpflllh,Sflldlower "belt support having ;a horizontal spacing from said upper beltsupport which is so related tto the various verticalspacingsbetween'said upper andlower belt supports that said belt run-issteeply inclined upwardly in the direction of rotary movement of theadjacent "tubes, said belt support means including adjustable means'engageable with said belt to assure proper tension therein for'thevarious positions'of vertical adjustment of'said-upper belt support,said belt support means including means operative to drive said belt tomovelthe instantaneous run portion thereof upwardly from said lower tosaid upper belt support, verticallyadjustable container support meansunderlying'said tube path from the upper end of said belt run andextending in the directionpf rotation of the overlying tubes, andcontainer feeding meanspositioned to feed containersonto the lower endof said belt run.

. 5. In a machine for filling a finely divided material into.acontinuously moving succession of upwardly open containers, thecombination-of a filling head rotatable about a vertical axis andincluding an annular series of ropen vertical filling tubes movablethrough acircular .path upon rotation of the head, means defining acontainer feeding station underlying said filling tubepath, containerfeedingmeans mounted tofeed a succession of upwardly open containers tosaid feeding station, an endless belt, belt support and driving meanssupporting said belt to define a container elevating belt run steeplyinclined upwardly in the directionof rotation of the overlying tubesfrom said feeding station to an upper end rising to a container fillinglevel, container guide means including vertical guides rotatable withsaid filling head in radially spaced relation to the lower ends of saidrespective tubes to pass along one side of said belt run in containerguiding relation to the respective tubes, said container guide meansincluding a container guide mounted along the side of said belt runopposite said vertical guides, said container guide means on oppositesides of said belt run being shaped and dimensioned to provide looselateral support to containers on said belt run, and container supportmeans extending horizontally from the upper end of said belt run in thedirection of rotation of the overlying tubes.

6. In a machine for filling finely divided material into a continuouslymoving succession of upwardly open containers, the combination of anannular assembly of downwardly open vertical filling tubes, saidassembly being rotatable about a vertical axis to move the tubes througha circular path, an endless belt, means supporting said belt to form anupwardly exposed container elevating run underlying a segment of saidcircular filling tube path and steeply inclined upwardly in thedirection of rotary movement of the overlying tubes, said beltsupporting means including means for driving said belt in a direction tomove the instantaneous run portion thereof upwardly, the upper end ofsaid belt underlying said tube movement path at a container fillinglevel, container support means extending horizontally from the upper endof said belt run in the direction of rotary movement of the oven lyingtubes, container feeding means mounted to feed containers to the lowerend of said belt run in underlying relation to said tube movement path,a movable switch-control element yieldably supported in immediateunderlying relation to said belt run for actuation by excessivedepression of the latter, a safety switch mounted for operation by saidswitch control element and adapted to interrupt operation of themachine, and container guide means positioned adjacent said belt run.

7. In a machine for filling a finely divided material into acontinuously moving succession of upwardly open containers, thecombination of a filling head rotatable about a vertical axis andincluding an annular series of downwardly open vertical filling tubesmovable through a circular path upon rotation of said head, meansdefining a container feeding station underlying said filling tube belt-in aidirection to move the instantaneous run portion thereof upwardly,said belt supporting means including an-upper belt support supportingsaid belt at the upper end of said run thereof, vertically adjustablesupport means 'coact-ing with said upper belt support to support thelatter and'the upperendofsaid belt run at different vertically spacedcontainer fillinglevels, and vertically adjustable container supportingmeans underlying said circular tube patlrandextending from the upperendof said beltrun in thedirectionof rotation of the overlying tubes.

8. In a machine adapted to fill finely divided material into acontinuously moving succession of upwardly open containers and includingan annular assembly of vertical "filling 'tu'be's rotatable about avertical axis to move the "tubes th'rough'a'circular path, arcu'atecontainer supportinginea'ns mounted at a container filling level inunderlying relation to said circular tube path, and container feedingmeans positioned'to define a container feeding stationbelowsaidcir'cular tube path and including means for reading a'succession of'containers to the feeding stati'oh, 'means for increasingthe filling efficiency "of 'the machine comprising an endless belt,means supporting said 'beltto define a'fcontainer lifting belt run'"steeply inclined upwardly from the feeding station to the containersupporting means in the direction of rotation of the overlying tubes,and said belt supporting means including means for driving said belt ina direction to move the instantaneous run portion thereof upwardly.

9. In a machine for filling finely divided material into a movingsuccession of upwardly open containers, the combination of an annularassembly of downwardly open vertical filling tubes, means supportingsaid assembly for rotation about a vertical axis to move the tubesthrough a circular path, an endless flexible element, means sup portingsaid endless flexible element so that the latter has a generallystraight container elevating run underlying a segment of said circularfilling tube path and steeply inclined upwardly in the direction ofrotary movement of the overlying tubes, said container elevating run ofsaid endless flexible element having an upper end underlying said tubemovement path at a container filling level, said endless elementsupporting means including driving means coacting with said element tocirculate the latter through said inclined run toward said upper endthereof, container support means extending from said upper end of saidendless flexible element in the direction of rotary movement of theoverlying tubes, container feeding means mounted to feed containers ontosaid upwardly inclined run of said endless flexible element at a feedinglevel lower than said upper end of the run, and container guide meansdisposed in proximate relation to said inclined run of said flexibleelement.

10. In a machine for filling finely divided material into a movingsuccession of upwardly open containers,

the combination of an annular assembly of downwardly open verticalfilling tubes, said assembly being rotatable about a vertical axis tomove the tubes through a circular path, a movable container elevatingelement supported below said filling tubes and defining an upwardlyexposed movable surface extending continuously in a generally straightline underlying a segment of said circular filling tube path and steeplyinclined upwardly in the direction of rotary movement of the overlyingtubes, said exposed movable surface of said container elevating elementhaving an upper end underlying said tube movement path at a containerfilling level, operating means connected to said container elevatingelement to drive the latter in a direction which causes theinstantaneous upwardly exposed surface thereof to move toward said upperend thereof along said inclined line of the surface, container supportmeans extending from said upper end of said inclined elevating elementsurface in the direction of rotary movement of the overlying tubes, andcontainer feeding means mounted to feed containers onto the lower end ofsaid inclined surface of said container elevating element in underlyingrelation to said tube movement path.

11. In a machine for filling a continuously moving succession ofupwardly open containers with finely divided material, the combinationof a filling head rotatable about a vertical axis and including anannular series of depending vertical filling tubes movable through acircular path upon rotation of the filling head, means defining acontainer feeding station underlying said circular tube movement path tosupport a container below the lower ends of said tubes, container feedermeans positioned to feed a succession of upwardly open containers ontosaid feeding station, container supporting means defining a containerreceiving station displaced a short distance horizontally from saidfeeding station in the direction of rotary movement of the overlyingtubes and underlying the circular movement path of said tubes, saidreceiving station being located upwardly from said feeding station tosupport containers in telescoped relation to the overlying fillingtubes, an endless flexible container elevating element, means supportingsaid endless flexible element so that the latter has a substantiallystraight upwardly exposed run steeply inclined upwardly from saidfeeding station to said receiving station, and said endless flexibleelement supporting means including drive means coacting with saidelement to circulate the element upwardly through said inclined run tolift containers from said feeding station to said receiving station.

12. In a machine for filling finely divided material into a successionof upwardly open containers, the combination of an annular assembly ofdownwardly open vertical filling tubes, said assembly being rotatableabout a vertical axis to move the tubes through a circular path, meansdefining a container receiving station underlying said tube movementpath at a predetermined level at which said receiving station definingmeans is capable of supporting a container in telescoping relation to anoverlying filling tube, container support means extending from saidreceiving station in the direction of rotary movement of the overlyingtubes, an endless flexible container elevating element, means supportingsaid endless fiexible element to have a substantially straight rununderlying a segment of said filling tube path and steeply inclineddownwardly in a direction opposite to the direction of rotary movementof the overlying tubes, said substantially straight run of said endlesselement having an upper end extending to said receiving station, saidendless element support means including drive means coacting with theelement to circulate the element upwardly through said run, and containrfeeding means mounted to feed containers onto said inclined endlesselement run at a feeding level lower than said receiving station.

No references cited.

